South Korean actresses Park Si Yeon and Hyun Young, amongst others, are currently being investigated for propofol abuse. According to the prosecutors, the female celebrities had been continuously been administered propofol at various plastic surgeons and dermatologists. Apparently, a few of the celebrities were even seen borrowing their sister’s or their family member’s names to administer propofol and visited many hospitals in one day for it.
The actresses of course denied the allegations. But let’s take a look at what propofol is.
Propofol is a sedative that is usually administered to patients who are undergoing surgery or another medical procedure. It is a fast-acting drug, with most patients receiving it losing consciousness within a matter of seconds. The potency of propofol as an anesthetic is so widely known, in fact, that in anesthesiology circles, the drug, a white liquid, is nicknamed “milk of amnesia”.
While propofol is most often used to sedate patients before a medical procedure, it is also one that palliative care workers have been known to administer to terminal patients who are in pain or who have weeks or days to live.
Michael Jackson reportedly used propofol regularly, which he called his “milk”, as a sleep aid. In 2009, the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson was given a lethal dose of propofol. After which, he went to sleep. And never woke up.
Back to the accused. Following the allegations, Park Si Yeon’s agency, EYAGI Entertainment released an official statement which said:
During the filming for films “Marine Boy” and “Dachimawa Lee” in 2008, Park Si Yeon underwent continuous action scenes and suffered a hip injury. From then on, Park Si Yeon who was suffering continuous hip pain was advised by a doctor for surgery and managed to endure it through painkillers to continue her activities. In the end, the pain became severe and Park Si Yeon decided to quit being the fixed guest for variety show “Family Outing” in 2009. Afterwards, Park Si Yeon was afraid of any potential damages to her image as an actress and didn’t notify the press and quietly received hip surgery.
It is true that Park Si Yeon continued to receive treatments for her hip pain and it was a treatment process prescribed by the doctor and we were not aware at the time whether she used propofol for treatment or not. According to the official records regarding Park Si Yeon, among the treatments that Park Si Yeon received at the time, propofol was administered, and Park Si Yeon will faithfully adhere to the police requests and complete the investigation. The allegation that Park Si Yeon habitually used propofol is totally false and the truth will be revealed.
Hyun Young’s agency also denied the propofol abused when they stated:
As you probably learned through reports, Hyun Young, as well as other celebrities, are being investigated for propofol use. First we want to make it clear that this investigation also includes digging into whether doctors are prescribing propofol in aims of pocketing more money, and whether propofol is being used in illegal ways.
As a female celebrity, one cannot be not concerned about her appearance, and it is true that she has visited the clinic several times for treatment. However, after realizing that she was pregnant in 2011, she never visited the clinic with the purpose of plastic surgery since then. Our hearts are heavy that Hyun Young, who has openly admitted to plastic surgery since the past, is being looked on with a negative mind set due to this investigation.
More to come as the story unfolds.
Sources: Segye, ABC News, Star Today.
